Whenever I keep my eyes on TV chat shows or newspaper articles in Bangladesh, I find politicians, educationists, civil society members, human rights activists, businessmen, journalists, and many others expressing concern about democracy: “The country is 47 years old, but democracy isn’t well established yet.”
To invigorate democracy in Bangladesh, however, very few people ever stress on the need for critical thinking to be incorporated within our education system.
Critical thinking-based learning can help improve democracy in Bangladesh. It gives way to careful thinking; not just jumping to a conclusion or accepting any evidence, argument, policy, or decision at face value. Critical thinkers, consequently, can take a pragmatic approach -- rather than being guided by principles -- to specific problems or decisions.
As in a parliamentary democracy, people can assess a candidate or system critically (considering strengths and weaknesses, pros and cons, effects, and such) before deciding to vote. Even after an election, when the elected candidates at the parliament pass laws and policies, citizens educated within a critical thinking environment present arguments for and against the laws and policies.
Thus, an education in critical thinking turns a person into a thoughtful citizen, which in turn leads to democracy being strengthened. Critical thinking, afterwards, develops learners’ ability to reflect sceptically. Scepticism in critical thinking refers to bringing an element of polite doubt. That is not to say that one must have a nature of never believing anything he or she hears or sees.
Of course, one needs to be open to accepting an idea if it is reasonable or true, because what one knows at any given time may only be one small part of a bigger picture. So, using scepticism and doubt, constructively, helps learners make better, more informed decisions as to whether something is likely to be true, valid, effective, or productive.
Within a democratic governance framework, a number of stakeholders and critical actors remain active. The government, any opposition, and the civil society are the most prominent ones who rebut, criticize, and question any policy prior to implementing it.
Such opportunities to be sceptical on any crucial issue would likely contribute to ensuring that a policy is free from, not merely any dangerous flaws, but also any harmful effects.
Critical thinking, therefore, forces us to get rid of stubborn attitudes, and be open to acknowledge anything that seems rational or true. Making someone’s own choices and respecting others’ are common norms of critical thinking and democracy.
Critical thinking in education
Pluralism is central to critical thinking, as critical thinking involves accurate judgements, and without being aware of influences -- such as assumptions, biases, and the things that we take for granted.
Likewise, democracy is based on pluralism within which multiple parties can exercise their rights. In order for it to be a democratic nation in the pluralistic sense, the current education system in Bangladesh needs to be fashioned into a critical thinking-oriented education.
As diverse classes and communities coexist in a society, injustice is often inevitable. Critical thinking, however, refers to the capacity to uncover and overcome social injustices -- one of the goals of a democratic society.
When a nation is educated within a culture of critical thinking, people become self-directed. Rather than thinking whimsically, they start measuring a situation and judging a case before reaching a conclusion.
In other words, they become rational and independent thinkers. Practising critical thinking formally might help in getting rid of social injustices – it has power to emancipate. Nevertheless, critical thinking requires an environment in which anyone can talk freely, think freely, and move freely -- no one is to be dictated to think or talk in a particular way. Several studies have found that students in Bangladesh do not dare challenge their teachers, even with due respect, in the classroom. Opposing a teacher’s statements means being disrespectful to him or her.
Sometimes, students are not allowed to ask questions for clarification either, as it is viewed as disputing the teacher’s ideas. Setting up arguments against a teacher’s views is virtually blasphemous. There is a reluctance to critique experts, and students start growing up with a yes-culture.
The above example illustrates that pedagogy in the Bangladeshi education system is highly undemocratic. The teachers’ voice is all too dominant.
Of course, it does not help that most teachers expect their students to think the same way they do. Unfortunately, this practice is acute in the higher education level, but not in all ways. For instance, during lectures, students are not normally encouraged to ask follow-up questions, even though students are supposed to be thoughtful. But teachers and educationists should remember that there is not one specific way of thinking. Beyond the pedagogical, there are some other obvious barriers to critical thinking, like misunderstanding constructive “criticism” by thinking it means making negative remarks.
Then, because of a lack of methods, strategies, or practices, some people -- albeit willing to be more critical -- know barely which steps to take next and which strategies to use for improving their critical thinking skills.
Critical thinking does not mean that one should be abundant in the beliefs which are important to them. Instead, it means giving more consideration to evidence which supports the argument based on those beliefs.
Notwithstanding these barriers, in order to build a democratic or a critical-minded nation, educationists, policy-makers, civil society members, and social workers in Bangladesh, alongside the government, need to come forward to reinforce the idea in education that critical thinking can form a truly democratic society.
As is obvious, higher education across the Western world -- in which freedom of thinking and speech is respected and upheld -- has established critical thinking as a primary goal of education.
A Master’s degree or a PhD are cases in point: The creation of new knowledge is an essential part of higher education.
Md Shidur Rahman is an English Teacher at INTO Queen’s University Belfast, UK.